Few Tracking "#Green" Building #Energy Use

By Thomas Frank, @ByTomFrank, USA TODAY When the District of Columbia began requiring newly constructed city buildings to be environmentally friendly, it created an oversight panel to monitor the program and to report yearly on possible improvements. The building law took effect nearly six years ago. The oversight panel has written one report -- in 2011. "It just wasn't the top priority," said Patty Rose, who helped write the law and sits on the oversight group, the Green Building Advisory Council. As major cities and states require new taxpayer-financed buildings to be designed for energy and water efficiency, none have tracked building operations thoroughly enough to determine if those goals are being met, a USA TODAY review shows. More than 200 cities, states and federal agencies have such "green" requirements, which often increase construction costs. Yet, officials can...